Rohini Rau – India’s first woman Olympic hope

If you thought intense sport and glamour doesn’t go together – think again! If you thought Indian woman and the gritty world of international sailing can’t meet – think again. If you thought beauty and brains don’t merge – think again. For Rohini Rau defies all preconceived notions.

A self confessed ‘smiling’ expert, standing tall even without heels the only moment she is not dazzling the world with her smile and energy is when Rohini is focusing hard on reaching the next buoy as she zips across the world riding the waves of the oceans with the finesse of a ballerina and the strength of a lioness.

Meet the poster girl of Indian Sports Rohini Rau from Chennai whose accomplishments and diverse talents can set anyone thinking if it’s really possible to put in so much in one’s life. An MBBS student, she has won medals in swimming and athletics and is an adept in disciplines like handball, kho-kho, Yoga and snow-boarding. Rohini is also a seasoned actor and danseuses (both western and Indian forms) and has been playing the piano and violin from her early days.

She started competitive sailing at 11 and after 13 years with two Asian Gold medals and 10 gold medals and five silvers in the nationals Rohini is the top woman sailor India has ever produced in its history. She has represented India in five major world championships. Rohini is the first Indian woman to win an international medal in an Olympic class Laser Radial – Bronze at Izola Spring Cup, Slovenia ISAF Grade 3 event. With her present ISAF ranking of 170, Rohini is India’s first woman Olympic hope in sailing.

A youth icon and role model to millions of her fans, Rohini has single handedly pushed the boundaries of woman sports to heights never thought possible before. She is currently training with some of the best coaches in the world and doing what she does best – smiling and sailing, in that order.